The United States and Kenya are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations built on the shared foundations of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. President Joe Biden recently welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House to mark this milestone and to look to the future.
“Together, the United States and Kenya are working to deliver on the challenges that matter most to our people’s lives,” declared President Biden. These include health security, economic security, cybersecurity, and climate security.
President Biden lauded President Ruta’s bold leadership in the area of renewable energy. Indeed, ninety percent of Kenya’s electricity comes from clean energy.
“Over 1 million homes are powered by wind energy alone. A historic Africa Green Industrialization Initiative, which you launched last year, is poised to create similar results in so many other nations, particularly in the continent.”
Across the region, Kenya and America are promoting high quality investments that lead to high standards for workers, technology, and the environment. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced deals that take its portfolio in Kenya to over $1 billion and multiple private sector deals were signed, including the Coca-Cola Company’s new $175 million investment in Kenya. These and other agreements are expected to generate hundreds of millions more in economic activity.
Together, Kenya and America are standing united against the terror perpetrated by ISIS and al-Shabaab in East Africa; the aggression that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine; and the violence that has toppled too many democracies across both Africa and the Americas.
“We stand at an inflection point in history, where the decisions we make now will determine the course of our future for decades to come,” said President Biden:
“I’m as optimistic and hopeful as I was those years ago when Kenyan patriots raised that new flag high in that midnight sky, because Kenya and the United States stand together, committed to each other, committed to our people, and committed to building a better world.”
A world of greater opportunity, dignity, security, and liberty for all Americans and for all Kenyans.
